1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Sheche came all Israel to make him king. 2 And when Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat heard it, (which was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Salomon the King) he returned out of Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him: so came Ieroboam and all Israel, and communed with Rehoboam, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grieuous: nowe therefore make thou the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his sore yoke, that he put vpon vs, lighter, and we will serue thee. 5 And he sayde to them, Depart yet three dayes, then come againe vnto me. And the people departed. 6 And King Rehoboam tooke counsel with the olde men that had stande before Salomon his father, while hee yet liued, saying, What counsell giue ye that I may answere this people? 7 And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou be kinde to this people, and please them, and speake louing words to them, they will be thy seruants for euer. 8 But hee left the counsel of the ancient men that they had giuen him, and tooke counsell of the yong men that were brought vp with him, and waited on him. 9 And he sayd vnto them, What counsel giue ye, that we may answere this people, which haue spoken to mee, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter? 10 And the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answere the people that spake to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter for vs: thus shalt thou say vnto them, My least part shalbe bigger then my fathers loines. 11 Now whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet increase your yoke: my father hath chastised you with roddes, but I will correct you with scourges. 12 Then Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the King had appointed saying, Come againe to me the third day. 13 And the King answered them sharply: and King Rehoboam left the counsel of the ancient men, 14 And spake to them after ye counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, but I wil incease it: my father chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges. 15 So the king hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordinance of God that the Lord might performe his saying, which hee had spoken by Ahiiah the Shilonite to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat. 16 So when all Isarael sawe that the King would not heare them, the people answered the King, saying, What portion haue we in Dauid? for we haue none inheritance in the sonue of Ishai. O Israel, euery man to your tents: now see to thine owne house, Dauid. So all Israel departed to their tents. 17 Howbeit Rehoboam reigned ouer the children of Israel, that dwelt in the cities of Iudah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was ouer the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died: then King Rehoboam made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem. 19 And Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day.
The Northern Tribes Revolt
(1 Kings 12.1-20)1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the people of northern Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had gone to Egypt to escape from King Solomon, heard this news, he returned home. 3 The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him, 4 “Your father placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects.”
5 Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to consider the matter. Then come back.” So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as his father Solomon's advisers. “What answer do you advise me to give these people?” he asked.
7 They replied, “If you are kind to these people and try to please them by giving a considerate answer, they will always serve you loyally.”
8 But he ignored the advice of the older men and went instead to the young men who had grown up with him and who were now his advisers. 9 “What do you advise me to do?” he asked. “What shall I say to the people who are asking me to make their burdens lighter?”
10 They replied, “This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.’ 11 Tell them, ‘My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!’”
12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to King Rehoboam, as he had instructed them. 13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the people, 14 as the younger men had advised. He said, “My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!” 15 It was the will of the Lord God to bring about what he had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. This is why the king did not pay any attention to the people.
16 When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, “Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself!”
So the people of Israel rebelled, 17 leaving Rehoboam as king only of the people who lived in the territory of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to go to the Israelites, but they stoned him to death. At this, Rehoboam hurriedly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. 19 Ever since that time the people of the northern kingdom of Israel have been in rebellion against the dynasty of David.